Natalee Young Terkel is an individual who is working hard to achieve success in her professional career. She is currently enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania where she is studying to obtain degrees in both marketing and computer coding. In order to support herself through her education, she is working as a bartender during nights and weekends. Natalee’s life can be hectic with everything she has to juggle on a regular basis, but this doesn’t stop her from taking advantage of some of the great opportunities her education, and her position in life, have to offer her. She has taken advantage of some of the study abroad programs at her school, and has been able to travel around the world.

Study abroad programs are a great way to get students excited about their course work. Although it is true study abroad programs are no vacations, it can be moral boosting for a student to continue their studies in a new environment. Study abroad programs not only enrich the lives of students through cultural experiences, but it also allows them to mature through the struggles of being in a foreign place without much of a helping hand. Schools typically provide living arrangements for the student, but everyday tasks will be up to the student to perform on their own, which can be difficult on a different continent.

Natalee Young Terkel was able to spend a semester at sea during one of her study abroad adventures, and traveled to places like the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, India, Malaysia, China, and even parts of Africa. Through the university, she was able to experience cultures she may never have traveled to otherwise. Her travels allowed her to grow and mature as an individual because a newfound perspective on the world around her. Although she admits at times that her travels were not without struggles, she believes it was worth it because she has more confidence in herself to overcome obstacles in her professional life. Not only does she feel more prepared for the professional world outside of her education, but she also feels like she is capable of understanding people on a more personal level through her experiences outside of the United States.

Natalee Young Terkel takes advantage of the many study abroad opportunities that exist at the University of Pennsylvania. She wouldn’t trade her experiences in foreign cultures for anything now that she understands the importance of perspective in the professional world. Studying abroad prepared her for the future.